EMBA Course Descriptions

BUS 610 - Graduate Business Practicum(0-3 hours)Solving technically challenging problems under faculty supervision, with a near-term economic benefit. May involve research in collaboration with FCBA faculty, for up to three hours credit. Repeatable to a combined total of three credit hours. Prerequisite: Graduate business student in good standing; approval of Center for Business and Economic Research and Director of Graduate Business Programs.

BUS 621 - The Leadership Challenge(3 hours)Gen. Ed. Exploration of the characteristics and themes of successful leadership. In-depth analysis of the strengths and development needs of participants through 360-degree feedback. Important interpersonal skill foundations in communication, conflict resolution, and trust building are emphasized. One-on-one coaching between participants and staff.

BUS 623 - Scanning the Environment(.5 hours)Uncertainty in business planning caused by the external environment. Utilization of a conceptual model to organize and frame the discussions of the macroenvironment in which the firm operates.

BUS 625 - External Economic Environment(1 hour)Gen. Ed. Provide a broad overview of the economic environment in which business firms and consumers carry out their individual economic activities. Review the institutional structure, the social goals, and implicit values of the market system and how they establish the parameters within which choices are made. Overview of how and why business cycles occur. How economic policy, both monetary and fiscal, have impacted the business cycle.

BUS 629 - Cost Management(1 hour)Gen. Ed. Analysis of the nature of cost. Techniques for accumulation of costs incurred in production and assignment of those costs to products. Methods for reduction and management of non-value-added costs.

BUS 631 - Competition and Pricing(1 hour)Gen. Ed. Elasticity measurement of market response to price, income, and other influences on competitive structure from commodities to monopoly; pricing strategies based on competitive environment; price, output, and product development for competition among few firms; the techniques of Cournot, Stackelberg, and Von Neumann.

BUS 635 - Communication Workshop(1 hour)Communication skills, both verbal and written, will be strengthened and learned through practice. Interpersonal and written communication skills and media interviews receive primary emphasis.

BUS 637 - Attracting & Developing Talent(2 hours)Gen. Ed. Expose students to the challenges of attracting talent and provide advice on how to develop talent within an organization. Complexities of recruiting in difficult labor markets. Continuous improvement mechanisms to stimulate ongoing talent development.

BUS 639 - Building Employee Commitment(2 hours)Gen. Ed. Key themes and practical approaches for enhancing motivation and building high levels of commitment and continuing dedication throughout the workforce. Financial and intrinsic reward systems are emphasized, as are the keys to developing a culture of involvement and credibility.

BUS 641 - Dealing With Problem People(1 hour)Gen. Ed. Approaches, skills, and strategies for understanding and addressing difficult and problem people in the organization. Application of course materials and learning to on-the-job situations. Examines both human resource and legal ramifications of dealing with problem people.

BUS 643 - Team Building(1 hour)Gen. Ed. Design, introduction, development, and leadership of cross-disciplinary teams, including virtual teams. The course provides leaders with the background, perspective, and skill to help teams reach their performance potential. Participants receive feedback regarding their on-the-job approach to teams. Areas of need are identified and participant-specific skills and actions are emphasized. Approaches to team rewards and team compensation are studied.

BUS 647 - Global Environment & Issues(3 hours)Provide an understanding of the forces shaping the international economy. Provide frameworks and guidelines for gathering, sorting, and assessing complex global and regional information to contribute to understanding organizations’ strategies and tactics. Emphasis on leadership issues and diverse cultures.

BUS 649 - Developing Strategy(2 hours)Gen. Ed. Provide an effective planning framework to integrate strategies with different functional areas. All of the functional areas will be integrated within the strategic planning framework. Emphasis on strategic planning as an ongoing, fluid process that evolves over time and adapts to environmental changes.

BUS 651 - Performance Measurement & Control Systems(2 hours)Gen. Ed. Techniques for creation of profit plans and monitoring of success. Design and use of broad-based performance measures such as the balanced scorecard. Identification and control of risks that threaten the attainment of objectives.

BUS 655 - Leading Successful Change(1 hour)Gen. Ed. Background, insights, and skills in how to effectively challenge the status quo, create new directions, and lead organizations to embrace and successfully implement needed change. Examination of the forces for change and dynamics of resistance. Participants examine their personal style of change and apply change management strategies to their respective organizations.

BUS 658 - EMBA Topics(0-2 hours)Gen. Ed. Topics of special interest which may vary each time course is offered. May be repeated under different topics for a maximum of two hours credit. Topic stated in current Schedule of Classes.

BUS 681 - Professional Development(1-3 hours)Gen. Ed. Apply professional knowledge and skills in a team environment on not-for-profit, international, or research project. May be repeated for a maximum of three hours credit. Prerequisites: consent of graduate program director.

This Catalog represents the University’s best effort to communicate information on academic programs, policies, rules, and regulations that were in effect at the time of its publication. Students should be aware that the University reserves the right to modify these programs, policies, rules, and regulations at any time within a student’s term of residence. The University’s policy is to provide notice of any such modifications sufficiently in advance of their implementation to ensure adjustments without undue inconvenience. Before pre-registering for any academic term, students should contact the administrative office of their academic department or college to verify the most current information.